TL;DR: Toy Story 4 is a surprisingly deep exploration of identity and "retirement" that hits parents just as hard as kids. While Forky provides the meme-worthy "I’m trash" humor that kids obsessed with YouTube shorts will love, the movie also features some legit creepy ventriloquist dummies that might trigger a "can I sleep in your bed?" request from the under-6 crowd. It’s the perfect bridge to discuss big life changes before we head into the tech-obsessed world of Toy Story 5.
If you thought the franchise ended perfectly with Andy driving off to college in Toy Story 3, you weren't alone. But Toy Story 4 picks up with the gang living with Bonnie. The central conflict kicks off when Bonnie literally creates a friend out of a spork, some pipe cleaners, and a popsicle stick.
Enter Forky.
Forky has a full-blown existential crisis because he believes he is "trash" (literally, he was made in a trash can) and spends the first act trying to throw himself away. Woody, meanwhile, is dealing with his own "empty nest" syndrome. He’s no longer the favorite toy, he’s collecting dust bunnies in the closet, and he’s desperate to find a new purpose by "saving" Forky for Bonnie.
The story takes us on a road trip to a creepy antique mall, introduces a "lost" and much more badass Bo Peep, and features a villain, Gabby Gabby, who just wants a working voice box.
If you’ve spent any time around a second-grader lately, you know that "self-deprecating weirdness" is the current currency of humor. Forky is the patron saint of this. Before the "Ohio" memes and Skibidi Toilet took over, Forky was the original "I don't belong here" icon.
Kids love Forky because:
- He’s Relatable: He’s messy, he’s confused, and he’s literally made of junk.
- The Physical Comedy: His stiff-legged running and constant attempts to dive into trash cans are gold for the 5-to-10-year-old demographic.
- The "Trash" Meme: "I'm trash" became a shorthand for kids feeling overwhelmed or just being silly. It’s that slightly chaotic energy they see in Roblox or on YouTube.
Check out our guide on why kids find "weird" humor so appealing
Let’s be real: the ventriloquist dummies (Benson and his clones) in the antique mall are nightmare fuel. They have that uncanny valley, "Slappy from Goosebumps" vibe.
If you have a child who is sensitive to "creepy" imagery, you might want to pre-screen the antique store scenes. The way they move—silent, twitchy, and always in the shadows—is designed to be unsettling. It’s a jump-scare lite experience. However, the movie does a great job of humanizing the "villain," Gabby Gabby, by the end, which is a great lesson in not judging a book (or a creepy doll) by its cover.
At its heart, Toy Story 4 is a movie about transitioning to a new phase of life.
- For Kids: It’s Bonnie starting kindergarten. It’s the anxiety of a new environment and needing a "security spork" to get through the day.
- For Woody: It’s about realizing your old job is done. He spent years being "Andy’s toy," and now he has to figure out who he is when he’s not the favorite.
- For Parents: It’s a total gut-punch. Watching Woody let go of his past to find a new future (with Bo Peep) is a metaphor for every stage of parenting where we have to step back and let our kids grow.
If your family is dealing with a move, a new school, or even just the transition from "little kid" toys to "big kid" tech, this movie is a fantastic conversation starter.
We already know that Toy Story 5 is going to tackle the "Toys vs. Tech" debate. The teaser art shows the toys looking dejected while a child stares at a glowing tablet under the covers.
Toy Story 4 sets the stage for this by showing the beginning of the end of "traditional play" for Bonnie. She’s moving into the school-age years where Minecraft and Toca Boca World start to compete with physical action figures. Watching the fourth movie now helps establish that emotional connection to the "physical" world before the franchise dives into the digital wellness themes of the next installment.
- Ages 2-4: Likely to enjoy the bright colors and Forky’s antics, but the antique mall scenes (around the 45-minute mark) might be genuinely scary. Be ready to fast-forward or hold them close.
- Ages 5-8: The sweet spot. They’ll get the humor, handle the "scary" parts with some bravado, and understand the kindergarten anxiety.
- Ages 9-12: Might act like they’re "too old" for Toy Story, but they’ll secretly enjoy the existential dread of Forky. It’s a good time to talk to them about the "trash" memes they see online.
If your kids loved the themes in Toy Story 4, here are some other picks that hit those same "identity and transition" notes:
If Toy Story 4 is about the transition to school, Inside Out 2 is the masterclass on the transition to puberty. It handles "Anxiety" as a character in much the same way Toy Story 4 handles Forky’s "Trash" obsession.
For a story about finding purpose in a place you don't belong, this book (and the movie) is unbeatable. Roz the robot has a very "Woody-esque" journey of learning to care for something else to find her own meaning.
If you want to talk about moving and big family changes without the creepy dummies, the "Sign" episode of Bluey is the gold standard. It’s 28 minutes of pure emotional intelligence.
This is a "cozy game" where you literally just unpack boxes as a character grows up and moves into different homes. It’s a zen way to talk about how our "stuff" (like toys) follows us through different life stages.
There is a subplot where Gabby Gabby essentially wants to perform "surgery" on Woody to take his voice box. For very young kids, the idea of toys being "broken" or "harvested" for parts can be a little distressing. It’s worth mentioning that toys don’t feel pain, but they do feel "purpose."
Also, the ending is a tear-jerker. Woody leaves the group. For kids who struggle with the idea of friends moving away or groups breaking up, this might require some post-movie cuddles. It’s not a "happily ever after" in the traditional sense; it’s a "happily moving on," which is a much more complex lesson.
Here are a few questions to ask on the car ride home:
- "Why do you think Forky thought he was trash? Have you ever felt like you didn't know where you fit in?"
- "Woody had to say goodbye to Buzz to start a new adventure. What’s the hardest goodbye you’ve ever had to say?"
- "If you were Bonnie, would you rather play with a handmade toy like Forky or a tablet?" (This is a great setup for the themes of the upcoming Toy Story 5).
Toy Story 4 is a 9/10 movie that manages to be both a hilarious meme-factory and a serious meditation on growing up. It’s a rare sequel that actually justifies its existence by giving Woody a real ending. Just keep an eye on the ventriloquist dummies if your kid is the "scared of the dark" type.
Beyond the screen, it’s a reminder to us as parents that our kids' "trash"—the weird drawings, the rocks they find in the park, the pipe-cleaner creatures—is often their most prized possession because they made it. In a world of digital toys, that's a pretty great lesson to hold onto.
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